Using social media to promote your business

Building an online community is a key strategy for growing your business. Hear tips from social media experts Alex Blom, Erin Bury and Mark Evans on how they have built and managed their communities so that you can do the same

This is a link to MaRS Discovery District

MaRS is the hub of a growing community of organizations—in Ontario, across Canada and around the world—that are working together to help nurture innovation and bring new ideas to market.  The MaRS Ontario Gateway site is a directory of organizations with expertise that includes:

• Advanced materials and engineering
• Cleantech
• Information technology, communications and entertainment (ICE)
• Life sciences and health care
• Social innovation

Need to Hire People?

The Bracebridge Employment Resource Centre is sponsoring a Job Fair at the Bracebridge Sportsplex on Monday, March 1, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Sportsplex is located at 110 Clearbrook Trail in Bracebridge.

Approximately 32 local employers are registered so far to provide information about their business and employment opportunities.

For more information, contact the Bracebridge Employment Resource Centre, 195 Wellington Street, 705-646-2092.

Looking for business financing? Georgian Angel Network

Georgian Angel Network is a not-for-profit organization comprised of individual member-investors, as well as having strategic partnerships with both public and private sector organizations/businesses. GAN, is continually looking for opportunities which meet the group’s investment criteria (refer below). GAN website is www.georgianangelnet.ca , where there is additional information for both investors  & entrepreneurs.

The ENTREPRENEURS tab on the website was written to assist entrepreneurs “pre-qualify” their businesses as potential investment candidates for the GAN - the following investment criteria are the most relevant:

· Amount: $150k minimum (we will consider smaller investments for certain opportunities), and up to $500k of equity per transaction;

· Owners/management: must be “sophisticated”, and have experience in their domain or as a serial entrepreneur. A solid business plan is a must (including well-conceived financials), also including strong understanding of competitive landscape & go-to-market strategy;

· There should be a reasonable amount of cash equity already invested in the business from founders/family/friends (as the first source of equity capital), not just “sweat equity” which is treated as a given for any entrepreneur;

· Governance: should have a reasonably strong advisory board;

· “disruptive” technology, either an innovation based on an existing technology, or an entirely new product/technology ;

· Use of Proceeds: proceeds will be used to achieve determinable milestones;

· Customers must be well-defined & the addressable market potentially large;

· Stage: proven technology - preferably at the late-beta stage, or preferably already with revenue (demonstrating traction with customers); the market must be well-defined & the addressable market reasonably large. Sustainable competitive advantage & defensible product/technology, either by patented IP, joint venture relationship or strategic alliance;

· Return: equity return of 5x cash-on-cash in a 3 year exit scenario, or 8-10x cash-on-cash in a 5 year exit scenario (an identifiable exit is implicit in the investment opportunity).

ContactSandy Robertson

MANAGING DIRECTOR
(705) 441-4058 (mobile)
(705) 443-8576 (office)
Collingwood, ON
sandy@georgianangelnet.ca

GEORGIAN ANGEL NETWORK LOOKING FOR ANGELS

GAN is a regional angel group covering south-central Ontario. We are actively looking to grow the membership of the group.

Angels are high net worth (accredited) investors, who are interested in making direct equity investments in private companies, specifically start-ups. Companies that represent high-potential opportunities are of interest to angel groups. Angel groups like GAN represent an important step in the innovation chain, providing funding to early-stage companies to assist them in full commercialization of their technology or product.

GAN serves as a linkage mechanism between entrepreneurs who require equity capital, and angel investors who want to invest in these start-up opportunities. The angels bring not only their financial capital to bear, but augment this with their experiential and intellectual capital. Angels are typically successful entrepreneurs themselves, who started, built and (in many cases) sold their business and have the time and money to commit. They may also continue to be active in their own businesses, while making private equity investments as part of managing their overall net worth.

The GAN sources, reviews & vets opportunities, stages the investment meetings (2-3 companies present at each meeting) and facilitates due diligence to arrive at an investment agreement that is satisfactory to both the investors and investee companies. The investors make their own investment decisions on a case-by-case basis. GAN has a regional focus, and will also profile companies from outside the region if they present compelling investment opportunities.

GAN is a not-for-profit organization comprised of individual member-investors, as well as having strategic partnerships with both public and private sector organizations/businesses. GAN, as well as actively recruiting members to build the group, is continually looking for opportunities which meet the group’s investment criteria (refer below).

GAN website is http://www.georgianangelnet.ca/ , where there is additional information for both investors and; entrepreneurs.

Sandy Robertson
MANAGING DIRECTOR
(705) 441-4058 (mobile)
(705) 443-8576 (office)
Collingwood, ON
sandy@georgianangelnet.ca